Adrienne Domasin, Ph.D. is a cultural studies scholar specializing in game studies, media studies, and fandom studies. Domasin holds a BA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, an MA from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, and a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies with a concentration in Media Studies from Claremont Graduate University. Her academic work focuses on transmedia storytelling, post-apocalyptic narratives, and the complex dynamics of player identity in video games.

 

Domasin is currently developing a groundbreaking book that emerges from her doctoral research. Playful Counterknowledges: Leveraging The Last of Us Gameplay to Challenge Ideological Power offers critical examinations of video game narratives, particularly exploring how interactive media can challenge and deconstruct existing power structures. This work draws extensively from her dissertation, which provides an autoethnographic exploration of gaming experiences in association with various facets of her identity as a gamer, academic, and mother. Domasin is also editing a collection, The Psychgeist of Popular Culture:The Last of Us, which examines the various ways gamers and audiences express their appreciation of TLoU through fandom, analyzing the gameplay, themes, story, and characters through an accessible lens.

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Domasin has presented her dissertation research at prestigious international conferences, including the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) in Sevilla, Spain. Domasin’s current project “Playfully Perilous: Permadeath Streams of The Last of Us Part II as a Collective Playground”  explores Twitch streaming cultures, collective play, and the dynamic nature of gaming communities. This project has been accepted for presentation at the Central and Eastern European Game Studies (CEEGS) Conference in Nafplio, Greece. 

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As a screenwriter, Domasin recently developed and wrote a compelling episodic script titled Belly of the Beast, which explores mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex through a dystopian narrative. Belly has been compared to episodic melodrama The Handmaid’s Tale (2017 -) in its approach to issues surrounding equality and social justice, and the film Civil War (2024) in its relevance to the current political moment. Belly follows a rising star at a prison management firm who discovers a government plan to accelerate the institutional extermination of African Americans. Currently ranked in the top 28% of discoverable projects on Coverfly, the script has been submitted to various episodic television competitions and development labs. Belly showcases Domasin’s commitment to social equality, strong storytelling skills, and a critical approach to media narratives. 

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Beyond academic and creative pursuits, Domasin is an active member of the gaming community streaming her gameplay on Twitch as yo_dr_adrienne, and serving as a community moderator for Slaybase’s Channel. In this role, she manages live chat interactions, enforces community guidelines, and supports audience engagement, demonstrating her commitment to creating inclusive digital spaces. 

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Domasin is the proud owner of an off the track thoroughbred, named The Pride of Wilshire, who is affectionately known as Willy in his post-racing days. Willy will soon be participating in The Last of Us cosplay along with Domasin, who will cosplay as a bi-racial Abby Anderson matching the 80s aesthetic skin from the 2024 remastered version of Part II.

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Domasin has made significant contributions to academic service, serving as The Last of Us Area Chair for the Southwest Popular and American Culture Conference and holding graduate student representative positions in the Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Her professional affiliations include the National Society of Leadership and Success, Digital Games Research Organization, and the Cultural Studies Association, reflecting her broad interdisciplinary approach to scholarship.